


Flowers for Bernadetta

by SophieAiba



Series: For Bernadetta [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route, Fluff, Matchmaking, Pre-Time Skip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2021-01-16 09:02:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21268481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophieAiba/pseuds/SophieAiba
Summary: Though Petra and Bernadetta's feelings for each other are obvious to Dorothea, they won't admit them to each other. Can Dorothea help them get together?





	Flowers for Bernadetta

Dorothea sat in a shaded part of the courtyard, watching the other Black Eagles practicing with wooden weapons. She had begged illness to get out of training today, which wasn’t entirely a lie. After all, distraction was a kind of illness, if you thought about it, one that she wasn’t sure how the rest of the Black Eagles were avoiding. Could she really be the only one who noticed how Bernadetta and Petra were carrying on?

Dorothea leaned back against a wall and watched the two of them closely. Both of them were in the middle of archery practice, both focusing intently on their targets--or so they wanted to appear, at least. But, after watching her arrow hit the target, Bernadetta’s eyes drifted over to Petra, and lingered there, as Petra drew an arrow, knocked it, and let it fly. At the moment the arrow stuck, Petra glanced over to Bernadetta. Their eyes met and both quickly looked away. Her face flushed, Bernadetta shakily pulled out another arrow, eyes locked on the target. Petra’s gaze, however, wandered back to Bernadetta, and watched Bernadetta intently, her hand still hovering over her own quiver. Just as Bernadetta was about to let her arrow fly, she noticed Petra. Bernadetta stumbled back, and the arrow flew wildly, sailing over the target by a good ten feet. Both looked away quickly again.

This went on. Dorothea had no idea how anyone could pay attention to anything else. It was all just so adorable.  
Still, the question was what to do about it. Cute as their shy looks were, Bernadetta and Petra would surely be happier if they talked to each other about their feelings. Besides, poor Bernie was liable to accidentally shoot someone if things went on like this. Would they eventually talk things over on their own? Dorothea doubted it. Bernadetta certainly would not, not without a lot of pushing--or dragging, as the case may be. Petra she was a little more hopeful about, but Dorothea had the feeling the Brigid girl wasn’t confident in her ability to read Bernie’s feelings correctly. No, if this matter was going to be settled satisfactorily, it was up to Dorothea.

Dorothea caught Petra at lunch. The Brigid princess was friendly to Dorothea, as always, but she seemed to have her mind on something else.

“So,” said Dorothea, deciding to get right to the point, “have you talked with Bernie recently?”

Petra blinked in surprise. “What makes you ask me about Bernadetta?”

“Nothing, really,” said Dorothea, trying to sound casual. “It’s just that, after Bernie yelled at that one jerk to defend you, I thought you two might be talking more.”

Petra looked down at the food, shoulders slumped. “I was thinking so, too.”

“Oh Petra,” said Dorothea, “what happened?”

“I am not being sure, completely,” said Petra. “I talked to her that night. I was thinking the conversation went well, at least at first.” She chewed her lip thoughtfully. “But she did faint at the ending.”

“Why did she faint?”

Petra frowned. “I squeezed her hand. I was trying to be friendly, but I am fearing I might have hurt her, although Professor Manuela was saying she was not harmed.”

“Oh dear,” said Dorothea, hiding her smile behind her hand. “But Bernadetta never seemed hurt at trainings, did she?”

Petra considered. "No, I am not thinking so," she said. "But ever since then, she has been acting...strangely towards me."

"How so?" asked Dorothea.

"Well, she is always running away from me," said Petra.

"That...does not sound so strange, for Bernadetta," said Dorothea.

Petra nodded. "Yes, but after we talked I had hoped she would not be being so afraid of me anymore. I have been trying to do things to show that we are friends, and she does not have to have nervousness around me, but I am afraid I am only making her have more nervousness.

"What have you been doing?" asked Dorothea.

"Well, I have brought her a piece of cake every day. She has been having worry about going to the dining hall, you know."

Dorothea nodded.

"And I have been trying to be saying nice things about her whenever I see her," said Petra.

"What kind of things?"

"Just things such as I like her..." Petra frowned. "Her embarrassing? When she sews the pictures."

"Embroidery,” said Dorothea. “Embarrassing is when you do something foolish.”

"Oh." Petra sunk down a little in her chair. "I suppose that would be why she didn't like that. But I also was telling her that she did a good job in training, or that she is smart, or that she looks pretty, that kind of thing. I believe I said those things right, too."

Dorothea smiled. "I'm sure you did."

"And after that, I..." Petra hesitated.

"You what?" said Dorothea, leaning in eagerly.

"...No, I cannot say," said Petra, burying her face in her hands. "It is too...embarrassing. I thought because I am not being so good with words in your language, I could do something without words. But she turned very red, and would not be coming out for three days after that."

"Ah, right, I remember that," said Dorothea. "Petra, if you don't mind me saying so, it sounds like maybe you don't want to be just friends with Bernadetta"

Petra grew sheepish. "I am not understanding what you mean," she said.

"Well, it just sounds to me like you like her," said Dorothea.

"Yes, of course," said Petra.

"No, I mean _like_ like her," said Dorothea. Petra cocked her head to one side. "As in, you are attracted to her.”

“Attracted...oh!” Petra’s cheeks flushed. “Well...I mean...she is very kind. And brave, much braver than she is thinking she is. And..."

"What?" asked Dorothea, smiling inwardly. "What else?"

"I do not know how to say it, exactly," said Petra. "She is...like a little rabbit."

"Cute?"

Petra turned red from her cheeks to her neck. "Y-yes," she said. 

Dorothea grinned triumphantly. "Then you are attracted to her!"

"Dorothea, please, not so loudly..." whispered Petra.

Dorothea was relentless. "But you are, aren't you?" she said, leaning in.

"...P-perhaps..." said Petra quietly.

"You should tell her how you feel, Petra!"

"Oh, no," said Petra quietly, staring down at her food. "I am not thinking I could do that. That would just be making her even more scared of me, I am sure..."

"Oh come now," asked Dorothea. "You are a beautiful, charming woman, Petra. I am sure Bernadetta would be absolutely delighted to know that you were so fond of her."

"No, I do not think I can do that," said Petra. “I do like Bernadetta very much, and I would like it if we…” she shook her head. “But what I would like most of all is for Bernadetta to be happy, and if she is happier not talking to me, then that is what I want, too.”

That was all very sweet, thought Dorothea as she left the dining hall, but Bernie was not happier not talking to Petra. Of that, Dorothea was sure. She would just have to talk to Bernadetta, and see what was happening with her.

Just as that thought crossed her mind, she spotted Bernadetta, trying to quietly slip out of dining hall. "Bernadetta!" she cried. 

“AH!” cried Bernadetta, spinning towards her. “Oh! It’s just you, Dorothea. You scared me.”

“Sorry about that,” said Dorothea. "Can we talk?"

"Uh, I...sure?" said Bernadetta. 

“Why don’t we go over to the greenhouse?” asked Dorothea. “So we can have a little privacy.”

There was no one in the greenhouse at that time, as Dorothea had hoped. Dorothea and Bernadetta sat on a bench together, looking around nervously. "What is it you wanted to talk about? Is it something bad?”

“Not at all," said Dorothea. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about Petra.”

“Oh.” Bernadetta’s shoulders slumped, and her mouth twisted into a frown. “I thought you said it wasn’t bad…”

Dorothea blinked in surprise. "Do you think Petra is bad?" she asked.

"N-no! Not at all!" said Bernadetta hurriedly. "But...Petra is mad at me, isn't she? That's why you came to talk to me, right?"

"Bernadetta," said Dorothea. "What on earth makes you think Petra is mad at you?"

"W-well, ever since the other day, when I..."

"When you yelled at that jerk?" 

"Y-yeah. Anyway, ever since then, she hasn't really been talking to me"

"She hasn't?" asked Dorothea.

Bernadetta frowned. "Well, I guess she has. But...I haven't been talking to her, so I'm sure she hates me now."

"Now don't say that," said Dorothea. "Come on, tell me what's been happening. Why haven't you been talking to her?"

"I just...she's been saying really nice things about me. Too nice. First, she said my embarrassing was good. I thought at first she meant that I was embarrassing, which I am, I know, but I think she actually meant my embroidery was good.”

“I’m sure she did,” said Dorothea. “Your embroidery is very nice.”

“But then she said that I'm good at archery, and smart, and pretty, and I know I'm not any of those things so I'm sure she's just saying them to be nice. B-but it's just embarrassing to have someone as great as Petra saying all these things about me. "

"Bernie..." Dorothea took a breath. "First of all, I think all of those things are true. And second of all, if Petra is trying to be nice to you, don't you think that probably means she doesn't hate you?"

"No, I'm sure she's just being polite, or...or something." She frowned and pressed her hands against her forehead. "I-I mean, what could the flowers mean?"

"Flowers?" asked Dorothea. "What do you mean?"

Bernadetta buried her face in her hands. "She brought me flowers. She said they reminded her of me. What could that mean?"

"Usually," said Dorothea, "when someone gives you flowers, it means they like you very much."

"No, but that can't be right. If the flowers remind her of me, that must mean there's something wrong with them."

"Well, IS there something wrong with them?"

"N-not that I can see.” She looked around the greenhouse. “I’ve never seen them in here before, and I don’t recognize them. They’re gold and purple, shaped like stars. They’re beautiful. Nothing at all like me. I'm sure there's something I'm missing."

"Bernie," said Dorothea. "Maybe what your missing is that Petra likes you. Maybe she thinks that you’re beautiful, too.”

Bernadetta reeled back like she’d been hit by an arrow. “Like me? Think I’m beautiful? No, no, that’s not possible,” said Bernadetta. “I’m just Bernadetta, and she’s just so wonderful, she could never...she could never like someone like me.”

“Bernie--”

“Sorry, Dorothea. I know you’re trying to help, but please don’t try to raise my hopes,” said Bernadetta, rising quickly from the bench. “I-I don’t think I can take it.” Before Dorothea could respond, Bernadetta ran off towards her room. 

Dorothea was afraid she had made everything worse. It was the next day at training, and Bernadetta and Petra were still stealing glances at each other, even more distracted than before, and now every time they looked away their faces were guilty and unhappy. Bernadetta had fallen down three times, and not one of her shots had hit the target. Petra had only taken two shots even though they’d been at it twenty minutes. 

Even if this was Dorothea’s fault, she couldn’t leave things like this. She would have to try a different approach, but what? Petra was, very sweetly, considering to Bernadetta’s feelings, and Dorothea didn’t think she would budge without Bernadetta giving some sign of her own feelings. But how to get Bernadetta to show her feelings? How to break through her self-doubt, and get her to see how Petra clearly felt about her? If Dorothea could only help get out of her own head a bit, help her see things from an outside perspective. Dorothea considered for a few moments, and then nodded to herself. She had a plan, but she was going to need some help.

After Dorothea had explained the situation to her, Edelgard watched Petra and Bernadetta for a few moments. “Yes, now that you mention it, I can see what you mean,” she said.

“We have to do something for them before it’s too late!” said Dorothea.

“Dorothea,” said Edelgard. “I know you care a great deal about matters of romance, but I don’t think this situation is as serious as--”

At that moment Bernadetta yelped and landed right on her back. A moment later, the arrow she had loosed lodged itself into the ground only a few feet from her head.

“Hmm...I see,” said Edelgard. “Still, this is not the kind of problem I’m very good at solving. I don’t think I can be of much help.”

“Of course you can!” said Dorothea. “That’s why I approached you in the first place. Don’t you worry, Edie. I’ve got everything all planned out. All you have to do is play your role. Now listen...”

A few hours later, Dorothea and Edelgard were hiding behind a hedge, watching Bernadetta sitting alone at a table near the gazebo. “All right,” said Dorothea, “go on, Edie.”

Edelgard, however, didn’t budge from the hedge she was crouched behind. “I can’t do this,” she said. “It’s humiliating.”

“Oh come on, it’s just Bernie,” said Dorothea.

“Can’t you just do it instead?”

“You and I both know it wouldn’t be believable coming from me. But you’re perfect! Come on, don’t take it like that,” Dorothea said at Edelgard’s frown. “I just meant that you usually don’t give much time to romance. You said that yourself, didn’t you?”

Edelgard grumbled.

"You want to help Bernadetta and Petra, don't you?”

Edelgard sighed. "Fine, fine, I get it. I'll go"

"Hello Bernadetta," said Edelgard, sitting down at the table with her.

"H-hello, Lady Edelgard," said Bernadetta, looking around nervously. "What's happening? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, not at all," said Edelgard. "Actually, I wanted to get your advice on something."

"Me?" asked Bernadetta. "You, Lady Edelgard, want my advice?"

"That's right," said Edelgard. "You don't need to look so shocked. I just need an outside perspective is all."

"I don't think I can really help that much."

"Hear me out first before you say that," said Edelgard. "It's regarding..." Edelgard took a deep breath. "...Romance"

"R-romance? You want my help with romance? I-I don't know about all this," said Bernadetta. "Wouldn't it be better to ask Dorothea about something like this?"

"Yes, this does seem like the kind of thing she'd love to stick her nose into," said Edelgard, looking over at the hedge where Dorothea is hiding. "However, I have not seen her today, so I thought I would ask you."

"OK, I suppose..." said Bernadetta.

"You see, there is a girl I...like," said Edelgard.

"Who?" asked Bernadetta.

"Never mind, that's not important."

"Is it Dorothea? Is that why you don't want to talk to her?"

"_Never mind_," hissed Edelgard. "The point is, I don't know if she likes me back. She's done some things that make it seem like she might, but I don't know if it's just wishful thinking on my part or not."

"What kind of things?" asked Bernadetta.

"Well, she is always saying kind things about me, like that I am smart or pretty, things like that."

"That certainly sounds like she likes you to me," said Bernadetta.

"You think so? You think she's not just being polite?" asked Edelgard. "She also brings me small gifts sometimes. Things from the dining hall, things like that."

"That sounds like she cares a lot of you," said Bernadetta.

"Well, I don't know. They're just little things. Although she did bring me flowers one time."

Bernadetta leaned forward. "She brought you flowers?"

"Yes, but I'm not quite sure what she means by it," said Edelgard. 

"Not sure what she means--it means she likes you, Lady Edelgard!" said Bernadetta, suddenly animated, slamming her hands on the table.

"Do you think so?" asked Edelgard, glancing over to where Dorothea was hiding.

"Of course! Why else would someone give you--wait a minute." Bernadetta squinted at Edelgard suspiciously. "This sounds a lot like..."

"A lot like WHAT, Bernie?" shouted Dorothea, suddenly popping up from behind the hedge. Bernadetta shrieked and fell back in her chair.

"Ah, Bernadetta!" cried Edelgard.

After Edlegard and Dorothea had helped Bernadetta back up, she looked at them in confusion. "So...Lady Edelgard doesn't really have someone she likes?" asked Bernadetta

"Sorry for the deception," said Edelgard. "Dorothea and I just wanted to help you"

"That's right," said Dorothea. "Bernadetta, you realize what you just said, right? Everything Edelgard was telling you made you think that the girl she was talking about liked her. And all those things were the same things you told me about Petra."

"But that's completely different," said Bernadetta

"How?" asked Edelgard

"Because you're Lady Edelgard! There are probably dozens of people in Garreg Mach interested in you!" Edelgard looked away, blushing, and Bernadetta continued, "So if someone was really giving her flowers, of course that would mean they liked her. But I'm just Bernie..."

"Bernadetta, don't say things like that!" said Dorothea. "You are a wonderful, lovable person, too. Why, you're adorable, and kind, and brave--"

"Brave?!" 

"Of course brave. I've seen you in battle, remember."

Edelgard nodded. "You have fought well in all our battles so far."

"And you stuck up for Petra, didn't you?" continued Dorothea.

"I...I guess I did..." said Bernadetta.

"And given all that, and given all the things she’s done to show she likes you, why wouldn't you think she likes you?" asked Dorothea.

Bernadetta was silent for a while, lost deep in thought. Slowly, she began to grow redder and redder. "Do...do you really think she likes me?"

Dorothea and Edelgard both nodded.

Bernadetta pressed her hands against her cheeks. "Then...what do I do now?"

"Well, you like her too, don't you?" asked Dorothea.

"I...I do" said Bernadetta.

"Then you have to confess your feelings to her!"

Bernadetta bolted upright from her chair. "Me? Confess--absolutely not!"

"But you like her, and you know that she likes you, right?" asked Dorothea. "So you don't even have to worry about her rejecting you or anything. It's the easiest confession in the world!"

"But...but what if I don't say it right? What if I mess up, and she decides she doesn't like me after all?"

"Come on, Bernie, you'll be fine!" said Dorothea.

"You know," said Edelgard, "If you’re worried about saying it right, I can think of one way you could tell her without using words."

Dorothea found herself hiding and watching Bernadetta once again. Edelgard had said she’d spent enough time on this, and she had other things to do, so Dorothea was alone, crouched behind a wall. Bernadetta paced back and front of Petra's room, mumbling something to herself. Behind her back, she held a bouquet of flowers--red peonies rather than Petra’s mysterious purple and gold flowers--and she fiddled with them nervously. Dorothea thought that she might have to come out and encourage her, but just as she was about to do so, Bernadetta took a breath so deep that Dorothea could hear it from where she was, and knocked on Petra's door. When Petra opened the door and saw Bernadetta, her face lit up. Dorothea leaned in as close as she could to hear. 

"P-Petra..." said Bernadetta. "I'm sorry."

"Bernadetta," said Petra, "what are you having to be sorry for?"

"I've been avoiding you all this time," said Bernadetta, "making you think I didn't like you. But the truth is I like you a lot. I'm always afraid I'm going to say or do something that will mess everything up."

"You do not have to be worrying about that," said Petra. "You have never been anything but kind to me, and I am always enjoying being around you. Shall we both stop worrying so much, and be friends?"

"...No" said Bernadetta At Petra's hurt expression, she held up her hands quickly. "I-I mean, yes, of course, I want to be friends, but...I want...I would also like...if it would be all right..."

"Yes?" asked Petra. Bernadetta had by this point turned as red as the flowers behind her back. Dorothea was afraid she was going to lose her nerve. But finally Bernadetta took a deep breath and she thrust the flowers towards Petra, extending them as far from her body as she could, as if she were afraid they were going to bite her.

"Th-these are for you..." said Bernadetta.

"Oh!" said Petra, taking them and beaming. "Bernadetta, they are lovely!"

“I just thought, since you got me flowers I-I should too,” said Bernadetta. “And, I should have asked before, but…” Bernadetta started wringing her hands. “When you said those flowers you gave me reminded you of me, what did you mean?”

Petra smiled shyly. "I was in the greenhouse. Most of the flowers have bloomed already, but there was one group of flowers, in the corner, that were still in their buds. Well, that day, they finally were blooming, and they were having such beauty more than any I have ever seen. That was why they were reminding me of--is something wrong?" 

Bernadetta was vibrating, and her face had turned such a deep red that Dorothea wondered if she had any blood left in the rest of her body. “N-n-no. I’m f...I’m fine. I just...I mean…I think…I…” She took a deep breath. “IgoththeseforyoubecauseIlikeyoualotandIthoughtthatmaybewecouldstartgoingoutifthatwouldbeokitisfineifitsnotbutifyouwant!" 

Petra blinked. "I am sorry, I was not quite understanding that..."

Bernadetta's shoulders slumped. "Oh no, I have to say it again?" She took another deep breath. "When you gave me those flowers, I thought that it might mean you liked me, you know...romantically?" Bernadetta shuffled her feet. "And these flowers from me mean that I like you.............romantically"

Bernadetta dug her chin into her chest and squeezed her eyes shut.

"...Oh!" said Petra. "Do you...do you really mean that?"

Bernadetta nodded vigorously, still keeping her eyes shut.

Petra looked down at the flowers and smiled warmly. "When you ran away after I gave you those flowers, I was thinking it meant...I was thinking that I had done something to offend you."

"No!" said Bernadetta, "not at all! I'm just...you know."

Petra smiled.

"Um...sorry, but would you tell me if you like me, too? I don't think my heart can take the suspense" said Bernadetta.

Petra smiled. "Yes, I do," she said.

Bernadetta's whole body went limp, like she had dropped some heavy weight. "R-really? You really mean it?" she asked.

"Of course I do," said Petra. "Oh, what is wrong?"

Bernadetta had begun to tear up. "N-nothing," she said. "It's just that I never thought that anyone would...especially not someone as great as you Petra"

Petra reached for Bernadetta’s face and wiped her tears away. “Bernadetta. Whatever happens, please do not ever be thinking no one could love you.”

“O-Ok,” said Bernadetta. She took a breath, composed herself, and smiled sheepishly. "What...what do we do now?" asked Bernadetta

_Kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss_, thought Dorothea, hoping her feelings would reach them.

“Well,” said Petra. “I can think of one thing.” She leaned in towards Bernadetta, her eyes fluttering closed. Bernadetta’s eyes widened, and she began swaying like she was going to faint. But she steadied herself, closed her eyes, and leaned in. Too far--the two of them banged their teeth together, and boh reeled back, holding their mouths.

“I’m sorry!” said Bernadetta, her voice muffled by her hands. “Are you all right?”

Petra nodded, shaking with laughter. “I am fine. I am feeling wonderful, actually. Shall we try that again?”

“Seems things turned out well,” said a voice behind Dorothea.

Dorothea spun around quickly. “Ah, Edie!” she said. “I thought you had other things to do.”

“I thought I would drop by for a bit, just to make sure everything was all right,” said Edelgard. “I do have a responsibility towards the Black Eagle students, after all.” 

“Well, everything turned out great!” said Dorothea. She glanced behind her, where Petra and Bernadetta were still kissing. “REALLY great.”

“Yes, you did well.”

Dorothea grinned. “You know, Edie, if you ever have romance troubles, I’d be happy to help you out.”

Edelgard shook her head. “Thank you, but I think after this I’ve had my fill of romance for a while.”

“Come now,” said Dorothea. “What about you and--”

“I am leaving!” said Edelgard, spinning on her heels and walking away. 

Dorothea smiled, and turned back to Petra and Bernadetta. The had finally stopped kissing, and were walking away hand, whispering and laughing to each other. Dorothea watched them until they went into the greenhouse, surrounded by flowers, and shut the doors behind them.


End file.
